BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, [11 DEC. 1916]
BRACERS 19090. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<letterhead>
57 Gordon Square
London W.C.1
In the train
Monday.2

My Dearest Darling

I had no possibility of writing at Garsington3 in time for yesterday morning’s post — so I have left you a terrible long time without a letter. But I have kept thinking of tomorrow all the time. Your 2 letters4 were a great joy to get. I follow absolutely what you wrote about the “pattern” of your love5 — I feel it like that too.

The new Govt.6 is perfect hell. It will make everything impossible for some time.  One must just lie low. I shall go back to philosophy I think for a bit until people wake up again. I think I must try to get a little peace of mind from abstract things — the world is so horrible just now.

I will come tomorrow at 6:40.7  Goodnight my dear dear love.

B

• 1

  [document] Document 200059.

• 2

  [date] Colette wrote “11 Dec. 1916” on the letter.

• 3

  Garsington Garsington Manor, near Oxford, the county home of Lady Ottoline and Philip Morrell.

• 4

  Your 2 letters Of 9 and 10 December 1916 (BRACERS 112977 and 112978).

• 5

  “pattern” of your love Although her edited letter of 9 December does not contain the word “pattern”, she does write of her love as a tapestry which she would like to spread at his feet. She wants to be his comrade as well as his lover.

• 6

  new Govt. David Lloyd George took over from Herbert Asquith as Prime Minister after an intense power struggle that split the Liberal Party. He was determined to win the war.

• 7

  6:40 Colette later added “am” to clarify the time.